Liner Notes

ALBERT COLLINS has, in the last few years, become one of the most popular bluesmen in the world. He's appeared at "Live Aid" with George Thorogood, played Carnegie Hall, headlined the Chicago Blues Festival, appeared in a new Disney film, Adventures In Babysitting, and of course won a Grammy award for Showdown! (AL 4743), the Alligator album that teamed Albert with his friends Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland. I Ain't Drunk is from Albert's latest LP, Cold Snap (AL 4752). Albert's other award-winning albums include Ice Pickin' (AL 4713); Frostbite (AL 4719); Frozen Alive! (AL 4725); Don't Lose Your Cool (AL 4730); and Live In Japan (AL 4733).

BIG TWIST AND THE MELLOW FELLOWS are Chicago's #1 party R&B band. With their big, brassy sound and the giant voice and presence of Larry "Big Twist" Nolan, they won a devoted following throughout the Midwest during the late '70's and early '80's. In the last couple of years, sparked by the success of their first Alligator album, Playing For Keeps (AL 4732), they've been touring nationally, delivering their good time blues and soul to audiences from coast to coast. This year's release, Live From Chicago! Bigger Than Life!! (AL 4755) is their first live album.

KOKO TAYLOR is the Grammy-award winning Queen of the Blues, with a recording career that spans twenty-five years. With her powerhouse band, The Blues Machine, Koko tours worldwide, devastating audiences with her gritty voice and magnetic stage presence. I'd Rather Go Blind is from her first live album, the brand new Live From Chicago--An Audience With The Queen (AL 4754). Koko's other albums are I Got What It Takes (AL 4706); The Earthshaker (AL 4711); From The Heart of A Woman (AL 4724); and Queen of the Blues (AL 4740). Koko also appears on Blues Deluxe (XRT 9301) recorded live at ChicagoFest.

LIL' ED AND THE BLUES IMPERIALS have earned a devoted following in Chicago for their wild stage shows (imagine Ed whipping out screaming slide guitar licks while doing back bends on his knees in the middle of the audience) and their hard-as-nails bottleneck boogie and blues. The band was discovered when they came into the studio for the first time to cut a song for The New Bluebloods (AL 7707) and simply continued to play, cutting an amazing thirty songs in three hours! Their debut album, Roughhousin' (AL 4749), appeared late last year, and their second Alligator album will be cut later in 1987.

LITTLE CHARLIE AND THE NIGHTCATS are one of Alligator's bright new discoveries. Based in California, the Nightcats are known for their crazed live performances, tongue-in-cheek songwriting, and the combination of Charlie Baty's maniac guitar work and Rick Estrin's powerhouse harmonica and vocals. All The Way Crazy (AL 4753), their debut album, features six original songs, including T.V. Crazy. The band is a favorite of both John Lee Hooker (who chose them as his opening act for his 1987 summer tour) and Robert Cray, who says "Little Charlie's wild guitar and Rick Estrin's cool vocals and harmonica are a tough combination to beat."

DONALD KINSEY & THE KINSEY REPORT are one of ten young bands featured on the new album, The New Bluebloods--The Next Generation of Chicago Blues (AL 7707), which has already turned into one of Alligator's hottest albums of the year. It also includes cuts by Valerie Wellington, Dion Payton, Michael Coleman, Professor's Blues Review with Gloria Hardiman, John Watkins, The Sons of Blues/Chi-Town Hustlers, Melvin Taylor, Maurice John Vaughn and of course Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials. Donald Kinsey toured with Albert King and Bob Marley before forming his own band with his brothers and best friend. They play on their own and with Donald's father, Big Daddy Kinsey. Look for a Kinsey Report album coming soon on Alligator.

JOHNNY WINTER is an American music legend. He almost single-handedly led the blues/rock movement in the early 70's, and he's been a major star ever since. Johnny's sizzling guitar and raw vocals are among the best-known sounds in contemporary music. He's cut three albums for Alligator--Guitar Slinger (AL 4735), Serious Business (AL 4742) (both nominated for Grammys) and the recent Third Degree (AL 4748). Mojo Boogie features Johnny's patented high-energy slide guitar in a no holds-barred showcase.

LONNIE BROOKS brings a taste of funky Louisiana swamp rock to his Chicago blues, and the combination has made him one of the busiest touring blues artists in the country. Lonnie's music is powered by his unique bayou guitar style, his big, soulful voice, and terrific original songwriting (his tunes have been cut by Johnny Winter and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, among others). Boomerang is from Lonnie's fourth Alligator album, Wound Up Tight (AL 4751). His others are Bayou Lightning (AL 4714), Turn On The Night (AL 4721) and Hot Shot (AL 4731). Lonnie also delivers a hot performance on Blues Deluxe (XRT 9301).

LONNIE MACK is a fiery roadhouse rocker whose career began in the1960's with a series of groundbreaking rock 'n' roll instrumentals. Lonnie returned to the national spotlight with the release of his first Alligator LP, Strike Like Lightning (AL 4739)(co-produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan) in 1985. Since then, Lonnie's toured nationwide, including arena shows with Huey Lewis and Stevie Ray. With the release of Second Sight (AL 4750), which includes Tough On Me, Tough On You, Lonnie won recognition not only for his firebrand guitar but also his timeless vocals and songwriting. Lonnie's early recordings are showcased on The Wham of That Memphis Man (AL 3903).

JAMES COTTON is internationally known as "Mr. Superharp," the master of boogie and blues harmonica. James honed his music playing with Muddy Waters, and he's fronted his own good-time funky band for over twenty years, playing sweaty one-nighters across the country. His first Alligator album, High Compression (AL 4737) was the eighth album of his career. His second, Live From Chicago - Mr. Superharp Himself! (AL 4746) captured James and his rowdy band in live performance at Biddy Mulligan's, the famed blues club on Chicago's North Side. The album was nominated for a Grammy in 1987.

ROY BUCHANAN brought his famed pyrotechnic guitar skills to Alligator in 1985, after cutting some of the finest blues-rock guitar albums of the 70's. His masterful playing has won him a fanatical cult following. Both his Alligator albums, When a Guitar Plays the Blues (AL 4741) and Dancing On The Edge (AL 4747), were nominated for Grammy awards. The Chokin' Kind, from Dancing On The Edge, features a guest appearance by the famed Texas roadhouse vocalist Delbert McClinton. Roy is presently working on his third Alligator album for late 1987 release. Some of Delbert's finest 1970's sides have been reissued on Honky Tonkin' (I Done Me Some) (AL 3902).

CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN's multi-instrumental talents and groundbreaking musicianship have made him a legendary figure in the history of blues, and a major influence on virtually every blues guitarist of the last thirty years. "Gate" began playing his lightning-fast guitar with Texas big bands in the late 1940's. He still tours constantly, alternating his guitar with fiddle and harmonica, switching from pure blues to swing jazz to country. His Alligator LP, Pressure Cooker (AL 4745) was compiled from a series of hot sessions cut in France in the 1970's with an all-star crew of American and French jazz and blues men.

PROFESSOR LONGHAIR, "the Bach of Rock," was a tremendously popular New Orleans piano player, singer and songwriter, whose career stretched over thirty years. He virtually invented a whole style of rock 'n' roll piano, and recorded dozens of classic sides. His last album, Crawfish Fiesta (AL 4718) was cut for Alligator in 1979, with the help of Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack on guitar and the Professor's own touring band. It's won dozens of awards and continues to convert new fans to "Fess'" music every year. We've included It's My Fault, Darling here because Crawfish Fiesta has just been issued on compact disc!

BUDDY GUY is one of the hottest and best-known blues guitarists in the world. He came to Chicago from Louisiana in the 1950's, and has been making shock waves with his playing ever since. Buddy is counted as a major force on the shaping of contemporary blues/rock guitar. Eric Clapton calls him simply "the best"-- what else can be said? Buddy's Alligator album, Stone Crazy (AL 4723) was cut in France in one day in the studio and comes closer than any of his other recordings to capturing all of Buddy's live energy. She's Out There Somewhere is just one of the highlights, and Stone Crazy has just been issued on compact disc.

PROFESSOR'S BLUES REVIEW with GLORIA HARDIMAN is another of The New Bluebloods (AL 7707) which have attracted so much attention since the release of the album early in 1987. "Professor" Eddie Lusk comes from a strong gospel background (listen to his organ style), and Gloria Hardiman brings her soaring vocals straight from church to the blues. Gloria made a guest vocal appearance on Roy Buchanan's first Alligator album, When A Guitar Plays the Blues (AL 4741). Black Drawers is probably the most-requested song on The New Bluebloods, and a highlight of the band's live shows.

ROBERT CRAY and ALBERT COLLINS teamed up with their old friend Johnny Copeland to cut the Grammy-award winning album Showdown! (AL 4743), which has become the best seller in Alligator's history. It's an amazing record, cut in four days in the studio with just three guitars, keyboards, bass and drums, and virtually no overdubbing. Because Albert is Robert's biggest influence (Robert started his first blues band after Albert played at Robert's high school prom!), it seemed only appropriate that they do a couple songs together without Johnny. The Dream was written by Robert and his long-time producer Bruce Bromberg. Albert contributes a chilling guitar solo, and Robert gives one of his finest vocal performances ever.